Adriana L. Schuler
Professor Emerita of Special Education Adriana L. Schuler, an internationally recognized expert in the field of autism spectrum, passed away March 6, at the age of 64. Schuler joined SF State in 1978, became a tenure-track faculty member in 1989 and retired in 2003. Through the Faculty Early Retirement Program, she continued to teach and conduct research until 2008, with a focus on social-communicative and cognitive development of individuals with disabilities, particularly those with autism spectrum.

Schuler was an active member of the SFSU-UC Berkeley Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education and served as a mentor to many masters and doctoral candidates studying philosophy. She also used her expertise and multilingual skills to consult with school districts and organizations, as well as contribute to professional literature. Schuler was a native of the Netherlands and received her Ph.D. in neurolinguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979.

Schuler is survived by her daughters Ellen and Emily Underwood, and by family members Yanci Taylor, James Underwood, Johanna and Bernard Boukamp and their daughters. A celebration of her life will be held at 6 p.m. on April 1 in the San Francisco Presidio Chapel. To make a memorial donation in her name, contact Louise Guy in the Special Education Department at lguy@sfsu.edu or ext. 8-2501.